Cam section blocks for circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

Needle-actuating cams for each of the feeds of a circular knitting machine are mounted on a separate cam-section block. Each such cam-section block is formed with parallel planar side surfaces and with parallel planar front and rear surfaces, each cam section block has its cams mounted adjacent its front surface on an elongated member, and the blocks are arranged in a circular arc around the machine with the cams facing the center of the circular arc and with a gap between adjacent blocks diverging in a direction away from said center. Removable plate means serve as the only restraint against movement of the elongated member means in the direction of needle movement.

[ Nov. 19, 1974 1 1 CAM SECTION BLOCKS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES[75] Inventors: Lester Mishcon, Miami Beach;

Donald W. Reagan, Hialeah, both of Fla.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, New York,

22 Filed: Dec.29, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 319,831

1,580,393 3/1968 France 66/57 Primary Examiner-W. C. Reynolds AssistantExaminer-Andrew M. Falik Attorney, Agent, or FirmChester A. Williams,Jr.; Marshall J. Breen; William V. Ebs

[5 7] ABSTRACT Needle-actuating cams for each of the feeds of a circularknitting machine are mounted on a separate cam-section block. Each suchcam-section block is formed with parallel planar side surfaces and withparallel planar front and rear surfaces, each cam section block has itscams mounted adjacent its front surface on an elongated member, and theblocks are arranged in a circular are around the machine with the camsfacing the center of the circular arc and with a gap between adjacentblocks diverging in a direction away from said center. Removable platemeans serve as the only restraint against movement of the elongatedmember means in the direction of needle movement.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures PAIEME raav 1 9 I974 SHEEI 10F 2 PRIOR ARTPRIOR ART PATENTEL rmv 1 91914 SHEET 2 0F 2 CAM SECTION BLOCKS FORCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention The invention relates to needle actuating camming for circularknitting machines and more particularly is concerned with thecam-section blocks on which such camming is supported in a machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been the practice in circularknitting machines wherein cams for actuating cylinder needles of themachine are supported on cam-section blocks arranged around the cylinderof the machine, to have adjacent blocks formed to contact one anotheralong side surfaces extending in a radial direction with respect to thecenter of the cylinder and to provide a curvature on front and rearsurfaces of the blocks defining inner and outer boundries respectivelyfor a ring of blocks concentric with cylinder. Such prior art practiceis disclosed for example, in US. Pat. No. 2,941,383 for Dual Cam TrackKnitting Apparatus issued June 21, 1960. Because of the form, asdescribed, of a prior art cam-section block, a set of such blocks wasnot well suited for use on various machines differing in cylinderdiameter and number of feeds. Also each such camsection block wasgenerally of a size sufficient to support the cams of more than one feedand as a consequence its circumferential dimension was such as to limitthe use of a set of blocks on different machines varying in size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention small sizedcamsection blocks which support only the cams for one feed of a circularknitting machine are formed with planar front and rear surfaces whichare parallel to one another and with planar side surfaces which areparallel v to each other. Not only are such cam-section blocks readilyuseable on machines of various sizes, but they are more easily machinedand therefore less costly to produce than the prior art cam-sectionblocks because they are without a curvature, and because of the parallelplanar surfaces. While in prior art machines having cams for a number offeeds on each cam-section block a curvature was provided on the camsupporting side of each block so that the cams for each feed would besuitably positioned when the blocks were in position around the cylinderof the machines, in the construction of the invention with the cams ofonly one feed on each block it has proved possible, since each blockneed only span a minimum chordal distance around the cylinder of amachine, to eliminate such curvature and still have the cams positionedto properly interact with the cylinder needles. Machines with 20, 24, 26and 30 inch diameter cylinders having 3% feed per inch of diameter areexamples of machines produceable with cam section blocks according tothe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing cam-sectionblocks according to the prior art on a circular knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a front face elevational view of one of the Y cam sectionblocks of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing camsection blocks accordingto the invention on a circular knitting machine;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a front end bottomportion of the cam-section block of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cam-section blocks of FIG. 3;and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of one of the cam-section blocks in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of thedrawings, reference character 10 designates the annular base plate of acircular knitting machine having cam-section blocks of a well known typemounted thereon in accordance with conventional practice. Three suchcam-section blocks 12, 14, 16 supporting camming 18, 20 and 22respectively are shown secured to the annular base plate 10 by bolts 24in FIG. 1. A typical arrangement of cams on such a cam-section block(block 12) may be seen in FIG. 2 wherein the earns 26, 28, and 32 arecams for one feed of the machine and earns 34, 36, 38 and are cams foranother feed. Cams 26, 28, 34 and 36 define a track for the butts of oneset of cylinder needles and the earns 30, 32, 38 and 40 define a trackfor the butts of another set of cylinder needles. As shown in FIG. 1,the blocks 12, 14 and 16 have arcuate front surfaces 42, 44 and 46respectively, arcuate rear surfaces 48, 50 and 52 respectively, and sidesurfaces 53, 54, 56, 58, and 61. The arcuate surfaces are all concentricwith the cylinder (not shown) of the machine, and the side surfaces allextend in a radial direction with respect to the cylinder of themachine.

In accordance with the invention, the width of individual cam-sectionblocks is reduced by limiting the cams supported on each section blockto those required for one feed rather than for a plurality of feeds. Camsection blocks according to the invention, i.e., blocks 62, 64, 66, 68,and 72 are shown on the annular base plate 73 of a circular knittingmachine in FIG. 3. Such cam section blocks 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72 areformed with planar front surfaces 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 and 84respectively, and with planar rear surfaces 86, 88, 90, 92, 94 and 96respectively. The side surfaces designated by even numbered referencecharacters 98 through inclusive are also planar. On each block, thefront and rear surfaces are parallel to each other and the side surfacesare parallel to each other. Bottom front end portions 123 of the blocksregister in notches 125 in a ring 127 formed on base plate 73 (FIG. 4),and bolts 122 secure the cam-section blocks to the annular base plate asshown with the front surfaces in line with chordal segments of acircular are 124 concentric with the cylinder of the machine and theside surfaces of adjacent blocks in contact only on the circular arc andotherwise separated by a gap diverging in a direction away from thecenter of the cylinder of the machine. Needle actuating camming 126,128, 130, 132, 134 and 136 are supported on cam-section blocks 62, 64,66, 68, 70 and 72 respectively adjacent the front faces thereof.

Cam-section blocks according to the invention may be used on differentdiameter machines accommodating an integral number of blocks byarranging said blocks on the machine with the angular separation betweenadjacent sides suited to the purpose. Also, since all surfaces on theblocks are planar the cost of producing such blocks is minimal. Otheradvantages are also realized because of the particular way in which theblocks of the invention are constructed as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6wherein one such block 62 is shown in some detail.

As may be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 the cam-section block 62 is an assemblycomprising a one-piece body portion 138 which includes a foot 140, aside plate 142, and cam-supporting elongated blocks 144 and 146. Theblocks 144 and 146 are slidably mounted in a cutout comer 148 of bodyportion 138 with a projecting portion 149 that is formed on each blockextending into a slot 150 formed in the body portion. During assembly,the elongated blocks are positioned as shown in body portion 138 betweenone end 151 of a torsion spring 152 and a bearing surface 154 under thehead 156 of a bolt 158 having a threaded connection with body portion138, and the plate 142 thereafter being secured to the trailing side ofthe body portion 138 by screws 160 and 162 to serve as the onlyrestraint against the movement of the elongated blocks 144, 146 in thedirection of needle movement relative to the cam section block 62. Theblocks 144 and 146 are slidably adjustable as a unit by bolt 158 againsta biasing force exerted by spring 152 and are adjustable with respect toeach other with a screw 164 having a threaded connection with elongatedblock 146 and extending through the block 146 to contact block 144..

The camming 126 mounted on cam section block 62 is shown as consistingof a raise cam 166 and a stitch cam 168 fastened to elongated block 144by screws 170 and 172 respectively, and a raise cam 174 and a stitch cam176 fastened to elongated block 146 by screws 178 and 180 respectively.Cams 166 and 168 define a track for the butts of one set of knittingneedles and the cams 174 and 176 define a track for another set ofneedles. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to the use of any particular cams on a cam section block, alsothat the camming may be varied around a ring of cam section blocks, andthat the camming may be such as to provide only one tract for needlebutts or more than the two tracks shown in FIG. 5. It is also to beunderstood that various other changes may be made in the constructionsshown herein without departing from the true scope and spirit of theinvention and within the purview of the appended claims, the words usedin the foregoing exposition being merely words of description ratherthan of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine, the combination comprisinga plurality of cam-section blocks; esblpcks be ng ,L:s hape a1it a m p go o and rearwardly'extending foot portion, andeac block fin laalslrlanapppqsite s de yrta9 st9 fi a leading and a trailing side inrelation to the direction of needle movement, parallel planar oppositeend surfaces, and parallel planar top and bottom surfaces generallydefining the L-shaped outline of the block; means for mounting needleactuating cams for one feed only on the front upright portion of eachblock; a ring for supporting said cam-section blocks around a circulararc concentric with the cylinder of the machine, with the cams facingthe center of the arc, and with adjacent side surfaces of thecam-section blocks extending in diverging direction outwardly from saidcenter; and a fastener at the foot portion of each block for securingthe foot portions of the blocks to the ring; the front of each blockincluding a portion which mates with a notch on a portion of the ring topositively fix, in conjunction with the fastener at the foot, thepositions of the blocks on the ring; the means for mounting the cams foreach block on the front portion of the block including a verticallyadjustable rectangularly shaped elongated member having a front surfaceto which the cams are affixed and a rear surface which engages a frontsurface on the upright portion of the block, the elongated member and anintegral portion of the leading side of the block including a slot inone such part and a projecting portion on the other extending into theslot, such slot and projecting portion permitting vertical movement ofthe elongated member in the block and preventing horizontal movement ofthe member away from said engaged front surface on the upright portionof the block, the means for mounting the cams for each block on thefront portion of the block also including removable plate means on thetrailing side of the block in engagement with one side of the elongatedmember, such removable plate means being the only restraint againstmovement of the elongated member in the direction of needle movement,the opposite side of the elongated member being in engagement with anintegral part of the block.

1. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine, the combination comprisinga plurality of cam-section blocks; the blocks being Lshaped with a frontupright portion and rear-wardly extending foot portion, and each blockhaving parallel planar opposite side surfaces, defining a leading atrailing side in relation to the direction of needle movement, parallelplanar opposite end surfaces, and parallel planar top and bottomsurfaces generally defining the L-shaped outline of the block; means formounting needle actuating cams for one feed only on the front uprightportion of each block; a ring for supporting said cam-section blocksaround a circular arc concentric with the cylinder of the machine, withthe cams facing the center of the arc, and with adjacent side surfacesof the cam-section blocks extending in diverging direction outwardlyfrom said center; and a fastener at the foot portion of each block forsecuring the foot portions of the blocks to the ring; the front of eachblock including a portion which mates with a notch on a portion of thering to positively fix, in conjunction with the fastener at the foot,the positions of the blocks on the ring; the means for mounting the camsfor each block on the front portion of the block including a verticallyadjustable rectangularly shaped elongated member having a front surfaceto which the cams are affixed and a rear surface which engages a frontsurface on the upright portion of the block, the elongated member and anintegral portion of the leading side of the block includinG a slot inone such part and a projecting portion on the other extending into theslot, such slot and projecting portion permitting vertical movement ofthe elongated member in the block and preventing horizontal movement ofthe member away from said engaged front surface on the upright portionof the block, the means for mounting the cams for each block on thefront portion of the block also including removable plate means on thetrailing side of the block in engagement with one side of the elongatedmember, such removable plate means being the only restraint againstmovement of the elongated member in the direction of needle movement,the opposite side of the elongated member being in engagement with anintegral part of the block.